New York Times
July 11, 1936, II p. 1, c. 2
Tesla, 80, Reveals New Power Device
Says His Wireless Invention Will Gird the Earth With Energy for Industry
Nikola Tesla, inventor, who celebrated his eightieth birthday yesterday foresaw
an industrial civilization founded on cheap and unlimited power transmitted from
a central point to any part of the globe without wires.
This new system of power transmission will have its first practical
demonstration within a year, Dr. Tesla predicted. He said he had perfected the
principles which will create the necessary apparatus.
Each year on his birthday the inventor of the principle of the rotary magnetic
field, new forms of dynamos, transformers and 700 other devices which have
played leading roles in technological development plays host to the press.
Yesterday he gave a luncheon for fifteen newspaper men and women at the Hotel
New Yorker, and while his guests feasted he contented himself with three oranges
and a quart of milk.
Recalls Interesting Episodes
Dr. Tesla recalled his first meeting with Thomas A. Edison, relived some of the
interesting episodes in his own life, describing his researches into such varied
fields as relativity, death rays, psychic phenomena, lightning machines and
power development.
Between sips of the warm milk, he eyed the newspaper folk with their Scotch and
sodas and confided that if he had not given up drinking alcohol with the
enactment of prohibition he would live to be 150 years old.
"As it is, I believe my abstinence from alcohol during the latter part of
my life has lopped off fifteen years from my life, and now I expect to live only
135 years.. he remarked, "Alcohol is the elixir of life, but when this
country passed the Prohibition Law I felt that as a patriotic American I should
stop drinking whisky. I have not touched it Since."
Meat is another food which he never touches, Dr. Tesla explained. Two quarts of
milk a day provide him with all the proteins and calories he needs to remain
alive, he said. Although as a rule he does not retire until 5:30 o'clock every
morning, he gets up about 10 A. M. and feels full of energy.
The development of wireless transmission of power will overshadow any of his
past accomplishments and will usher in a new civilization for mankind, Dr. Tesla
predicted. He explained that his system will make it possible, for example, to
install a hydro-electric plant at Muscle Shoals and transmit the power generated
to England, China, Little America or Alaska with equal ease and at comparatively
little cost.